@jmo: can you explain your "yes, it does" point more?

Anyway, my overeager comment is more in reference to your bizarre enthusiasm for the 'no talking during gunboats' rule. the reason that rule came into being a year or two ago was to improve the quality of gunboats. but the other day i noticed you lock a thread (or threaten to, i cant remember) because someone posted "hey lets cancel this game, there is a 1901 cd"...thats something we should be encouraging not condemning.

FD, that isn't at issue here. The mods here have plenty of head-full-o-hair years left...

Lol I'm not interested in ridiculous hypotheticals, FD.

OK. A better one. Your 1901 cancel idea. Jmo clearly didn't believe that.

and if the mods decide that doing that isn't good, and you could get banned for it, you couldn't do shit about it

Don't use a hypothetical then, Frank. Listen to what I said. I have seen the emails they send. They aren't condescending; they aren't threatening. They are stern and to the point. That's all it is. Same for everyone.

Frank if anything is said about a gunboat it becomes a full on conversation about the game if the mods don't do anything, and it can effect how the game is played.

@Frank, not really, we don't discuss the tools we have available, but I can assure you that starting a new account here unnoticed after being banned is not easy.

As for the other comment, that is something all of the mods are going to address in the next few days to clarify the rules on gunboat press.

@Seth: I disagree that it always becomes a full on conversation about the game. Back in the day, there wasnt really a no talk rule and it wasn't the end of world. It mainly just led to a lot of funny threads in the form (this was before the live games thread, maybe) as people provided commentary especially late in the game.

FD - you're right. so i voice my disagreement and hopefully the some day jmo will change the way he moderates.

Maybe not always frank but generally it does.

Frank, saying ANYTHING about a gunboat effects it. It being cancelled REALLY effects how the game turns out :-)

Frank, here is the problem with your reasoning:

Yes, a banned player may create a new account and try to start over. The problem is: so will a player who we've publicly shamed and banned from tournaments. He will create a new account either way and we'll find him again either way.

With much thought, I believe that the mods should never openly talk about bans anymore.

"Back in the day, there wasnt really a no talk rule and it wasn't the end of world. It mainly just led to a lot of funny threads in the form (this was before the live games thread, maybe) as people provided commentary especially late in the game. "

100% agreed. I miss commentary on the forums. I'm just glad that it's still technically legal with non-anon full press games. :-P

But seriously. Cancelling is not an in game tool which the mods have made clear. Making a thread about cancelling shouldn't be considered bypassing the press rules.

(Which is why when I play gunboats I like to make them public press with an enforced silence. )

@abge: Right. So then what is the benefit of the ban if the player's negative behavior will either persist (if he starts a new account effectively) or not persist (if you can catch him anyway) regardless? The only direct effect seems to be removing the player's positive contribution to the site.

Out of curiosity, did Sarg cheat in non-live games?

If the thread had given up no other information then asking for a cancel it would not have been a problem, but it did and started to draw in conversation from players outside the game, which isn't acceptable. Like I said though, what is and isn't allowed press wise in a gunboat will be clarified within the next few days. Thanks for your patience in the meantime.

just because he makes a new account doesn't make him a new person Frank. He can do that stuff if he wants to

This is a private server. Kestas has made it clear who he wants to play here. Cheaters are not welcome, and as mods it is our job to do what we can to enforce that. Allowing an unrepenting cheater to remain on this site would simply not fulfilling our obligations a mods.

"but it did and started to draw in conversation from players outside the game, which isn't acceptable. "

I don't know for sure if this is what Frank was referring too, but commentary for players outside the game was always something I found very interesting and entertaining. Its the thing I miss the most.

And part of the reason I play on other sites more now.

well, damian. If you make a pre-set rule before hand you can discuss it, the mods will allow it

Damian, just start a thread advertising a gunboat for non-players to make commentary on. The mods will respect any variant you propose rules to on the forums and honor whatever rules you set. They've done the same for me.

I know you can.

It just means I can't post fun stuff like tactical or strategic analyses of random games anymore, or even just a funny running commentary.

And it means that other can't either. It really restricts discussion of games in the forum. Which I find rather unfortunate.

Actually..... I've been through this conversation a lot before and I don't want to talk about it anymore. Forget I said anything.

Damian, when the School of War starts up you can post in those ones all you like :)

I thought SoW was restricted to a list of people who were supposed to comment after every phase, rather than being open to comment.
Maybe I've misunderstood the SoW set up. Thanks for the offer goldfinger, I may do that from time to time.

There are professors who comment after every phrase, and students are restricted from posting, but the general public can comment and start a conversation as well.

Ah okay, I thought the general public was restricted to just asking questions of the professors.

Well done mods, thanks.

Geez... I take a break to bounce between the World Series and the Broncos/Saints to come.back and see all this? Wow!